‘Smugglers’ After George Morland (1763-1804)

 

A fine late18th century coloured copper mezzotint engraving printed on original handmade wove paper, after the original painting by George Morland. The bottom left margin references the artist George Morland, titled centre SMUGGLERS, with the bottom right margin referencing the noted British engraver, printer & publisher John Raphael Smith. John Raphael Smith (1751-1812) was appointed Mezzotint Engraver to His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales in 1784.

 

George Morland (1763-1804) was a highly gifted British artist who had studied art under his father, but was chiefly self taught. In 1773 at age 10 he exhibited drawings at the R.A. (Royal Academy in London), eight years later at age 18 he exhibited his first painting at the Royal Academy. Although widely known for his accomplished bucolic, genre depictions of rural life, farmers, huntsmen, fisherfolk etc., he later developed however a fascination with the somewhat shadier side of life and its more adventurous, albeit less socially acceptable characters of the day, i.e. gypsies & smugglers, and it is these depictions which are thought be his best works, as in the case of this exceptional coloured copper engraving.

The engraving remains in extremely good overall condition, exhibiting excellent colour retention and set behind an attractive, old ‘verre eglomise’ glazed panel within a later ebonized wood frame.

Dimensions, (sight) 13.25” high x 16.5” wide, (framed) 22.75” high x 25.75” wide.

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